Also in today’s Roundup, USYNTs find success and struggle around the world, and Lewes FC enacts equal pay
Dutch midfielder Lieke Martens has left FC Rosengård to join FC Barcelona Femení, the latest in a series of strong acquisitions by Barcelona this offseason, including Toni Duggan and Élise Bussaglia. Rosengård was knocked out by Barcelona in the quarterfinals of this year’s Champions League before the Spanish club fell to Paris Saint-Germain in the semifinals.
Rosengård is currently second in the Damallsvenskan. Martens leaves tied with teammate Ella Masar for third-most goals in the league this season at 8. She helped the team win the Svenska Cupen and Svenska Supercupen in 2016, also becoming league runners-up that same year. The Swedish side is also losing defender and captain Emma Berglund to PSG.
Barcelona finished second in the 2016-17 Primera Divisón and won the Copa de la Reina, earning qualification for the 2017-18 Champions League. Their offseason signings will help with loss of Jenni Hermoso to PSG.
Martens has played for The Netherlands women’s national team since 2011, scoring 29 goals, including the squad’s first ever World Cup goal in a 1-0 win over New Zealand in their opening match of the 2015 Women’s World Cup. They would go on to get knocked out by eventual silver medalists Japan in the Round of 16. Martens was named to the roster for the 2017 Euros, which the Netherlands will host.
YOUTH TEAMS PLAY AROUND THE GLOBE
The U-20 #USWNT fell to GER today 1-0, dropping its only game of the 4️⃣-game Euro tour that also included 2️⃣ wins vs. ?? and 1️⃣ vs. ?? pic.twitter.com/wVEX7gqBa9
— U.S. Soccer YNT (@ussoccer_ynt) July 12, 2017
The U-17 USWNT won their opening match of the four-team CFA International U-16 Women’s Football Tournament in China with a 2-0 victory over Japan. Jordan Canniff and Astrid Wheeler bagged a goal apiece. They will play Canada on July 14 and the hosts two days later. This team is in the middle of preparations for qualifying for the 2018 U-17 Women’s World Cup, which is why they qualify for a U-16 tournament.
The U-18 USWNT won their second in a series of international friendlies against Australia’s U-19 side in Canberra, Australia. The match was scoreless at the half, but Australia quickly took the lead after the break with a Grace Maher penalty kick in the 49th minute. The US responded immediately, with Emina Ekic equalizing in the 51st minute. Summer Yates scored a hat trick to finish the game at 4-1. This concludes the mini-tournament for the US, who lost 4-1 to Canada’s U-20 team before defeating Australia 2-1.
The U-20 USWNT lost to Germany 1-0 today in their final match of a four-game European tour. They swept two games against England before coming from behind to defeat Germany in the first of those two matches.
ENGLISH CLUB LEWES FC TO PAY WOMEN AND MEN EQUALLY
Semi-professional football club Lewes will pay their men's and women's teams the same amount.https://t.co/8oT3ds9EKn pic.twitter.com/tRVbNKIZN2
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 12, 2017
In a potentially groundbreaking move, Lewes FC, an English semi-professional club, will give the managers of their men’s and women’s sides the same budget, as well as ensure that equipment, facilities, and coaching staffs are on equal levels. They believe they are the first club in the United Kingdom to do so, a move backed by their Equality FC Campaign. Equal pay and treatment in soccer has been an ongoing subject for some time, with the members of the women’s national teams of the USA, Australia, Ireland, Scotland, and New Zealand, among others, making the argument for better equality with the men’s sides.
Lewes’ men’s side was relegated to the Isthmian League Division One South, the eight tier of English soccer, last year. They count among their players a member of Bermuda’s national team.
Lewes Ladies plays in the FA Women’s Premier League Southern Division, the third tier of English women’s soccer. The winners of this league are eligible for the FA Women’s Cup, most recently won by Carli Lloyd’s Manchester City.
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